Improvement in water-wheels



2 Sheets- Sheet l.

R. STINSGN. WATER WHEEL.

t ...III lg!! 'Patented Dec. 13, 1870.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2. R. STINSON. WATER WHEEL.

lvm-110.169. .2@4 Patented 1390.13, 1870.

bien@ btiez sind @ff-ire RALPH ST-INSON., OF WHTESVIIJLE, MISSOURI.-

. Letters Patent No. 110,169, dated December 13, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WHEELS.

'The Schedule referred to in the Letten-Patent md making part of theum..

following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof,

reference being had'to the accompanying drawing .ofthe-same which makespart ofthis speciticatiou, nnd'in whichj Figure 1 represents a topviewof a water-wheel embracing my improvements;

Figure 2 represents a side elevation of the same;

I "igure 3 represents a vertical section;

Figure 4 represents a horizont-al section of one of the buckets;

' Figure reprcs'cnts a portion of the under side' ofthe upper rim,showing the recesses and'shoulders for the buckets;

f Figure 6 represents a top view of a portion of the upper rim and baseplate of the wheel, showing the recesses in the base-plate into whichthe buckets are secured; and y Figure 7 represents an inverted view ofthe feeder.

AIn the accompanying drawing thewhecl consists of a central base-plate,A, and an upper annular rim, B, cast in separate pieces, between and towhich the buckets C are bolted. l.

The base-plate A isa hollow cone, having a hub, D, projecting from itsunder side within which a square opening is formed, tapering from thebottom to the top of thecoue toireceiv e the correspondingly-shaped endE of a'vertcal supporting-shalt, F, and thus form a self-lockingsuspending seat for the Wheel, the weight of the latter tendingconstantly 'to render its connection with the shaft firm without anyfastening, -as it cannot descend below thc wedge-shaped endthereof.

The upper annular rim B is ot' greater diameter than the base-plateandhas the same inclination, and the buckets G are therefore securedbetween* themso as to incline upward and outward and expose their innerconcave sides to the directaction of the water within the annular rim.

`lThe buckets C are arranged in curved lines upon the sides of the coneA, so that the spaces a between their inner ends shall he greater thantheir outlets.

Their inner concave faces, b, have a regular curve with a radius aboutequal to the circle which 'bounds their lower ends,'while their outersides, c, havean oval shape, soas to bulge outwardat its back forseveral purposes, viz, to diminish the discharge-opening d at the backot' each bucket, and to terminate their ends in sharp edges, as shown infigs. 4 andt6, to facilitate the entrance and discharge of thc waterfrom the buckets.

The buckets are cast separate and secured between the cone A and `theannular rim B in the following manner.:

Ihe cone. is cast with a series of curved recesses or grooves, c,corresponding in form to the cross-section of the buckets, into whichtheir lower ends are -tted so as to lock and hold them in place, asshown in fig. 6; and the under side of the annular rim B is cast with aseries ofshoulders, j, against which the upper oval sides c of thebuckets are placed, and in these' positions they are locked byscrew-bolts g passing through the annular rim, the thickest part of thebuckets, and lthe cone A, to tho under side of which they are secured byscrew-nuts h.,`as shown in figs. 3, 5, and (i.

The wheel thus constructed issurmounted by a conical feeder, G,supported by a flange, 1'-, upon the door -of the flume.

The feeding-openings H are tangentto ahub, I, and the arms J, between'which tbeyare made, are inclinedbn theiruuder sides toward the innerend of each bucket, as seen in tig. 7, for-the purpose of impartingto'vthe water a whirling motion within the fiume, and causing it toimpinge, bythe -combined action of the tangent arms J andthe inclinationof their under sides, upon the wheel in the direction of its motion, andthus gain-.greater power of the water' and steadiness of motion of thewheel than if thewater were'directed through radial openings vertically.Moreover, the 'whirling motionof the water in the flume produced bythetangeut feeders, increases its velocity, and, consequently, the forceof its passage through the openings, and this arrangement bas beenfound'to possess advantages which the radial feeders cannotproducc.

A frustum ot' a cone, K,'is securedin any suitable manner upon the upperside of conical base A, thc upper end of which tits into a collar orsleeve-Jv, in the hub I of thc feeder, for the purpose of forming aguard to prevent the water from entering round the shaft and to deect itoutward' against thc buckets; the insulation of the shaft is thereforeeffected by the Isame device which imparts an interior centrifugalaction of the wa'ter against the buckets.

The feeder is provided on itsunder side at.the eircnmference of thefeeding-openings H, with an annular rim, l, which encircles a rlm, m, onthe annular cap plate Bof the buckcts,f.or the purpose of iuclosing theconnection of th wheel with the feeder, andprevent the waste of wa crbythe wearing down ofthe step of the driving-shaft..

The bridge-tree consists of aframc of four arms,M, bolted*l to the rimor angc i of `thc feeder, and its bearing-point, N, is stepped in thelower angular cud of the driving-shaft.

A conical register is arranged upon the feeder, having tangentialopenings and arms O, corresponding to those of the feeder, foi` the4purpose of regulating the quantity ofwater to the' wheel and cutting itoff when desired.

The upper sides of these arms O are rounded so as to direct the waterinto the openings between them in the direction of the motion of thewheel', and thus forni, in connection with the feeding-openings H,oblique tangential chutes directly above the buckets of the wheel. n

It is provided with a cogged segment, n, on its circumference, intowhich a pinion, p, matches, by which the register is opened andclosed,'.as desired.

The pinion is mounted `in bearings in a frame slcured upon the flange i,of the feeder, and the lrange lofmotion of the register is limited bythe stopsq, tig.

1, against which the ends of the segment strike.

' By being arranged in tangents to the hub of theregister, the arms Oalso prevent more effectually the entrance of chunks of ice ordrift-wood into the wheel. .The driving-shaft passes through the feeder,and its .upper bearing is formed ina box, P, supported upon a flangedsleeve, Q, which-rests upon the hub I of the feeder, to which the boxand the sleeve are secured by screw-bolts, r, passing through theirflanges, and clamped securely by screw-nuts on top of the box, by whichthey may be tightened, and thus obtain a bearing-box secured directlyupon the hub of the feeder, so that the shaft passes through the latterand the inclosing-sleeve without touching them.

The object of the double bucket is to close the ontlet-openings d, andbring the bearing of each bucket vdirectly before the water.

l "The feeder conducts the water without any breakage so asto bring itsfull force directly upon .the buckets,

`thus avoiding friction against the inner and outer rims, and holding itin a body for action.'

Having described my invention,

I claim--` 1. The buckets Qforinng the outline of the wheel in `theforni of a frustum of a cone inverted, said buckets being secured to thebase-plate A and annular rim B by means of the recessed seats e and tbecurved, shoulders j; inthe manner described.

2. The inclined buckets, having their outer sides of curves of a radinsabout halt` that of the inner sides, and arranged so that the sideshaving the least radius will form, with its contiguous bucket,'enlargedopen-- ings at their receiving-ends and narrow outlets, in the mannerand for the purpose described.A

3. The hub 'D of the cone A, made with anangular tapering` seat, and theend of the driving-.shaft F of corresponding shape, for the purpose ofsuspending the wheel upon a self-locking and snpportin g seat withoutfastening, as herein shown and described.

4. The arrangement of Athe cone K so as to form a continuation of thebascplate A, and he inclosed oy the hub I of the feeder, to produce acentrifugal actionof the water upon the buckets and to insulate thevertical shaft from the water, as described.

5.' The feeding-openings H, arranged tangent to the hub I of the feeder,in the'lnauner and for the purpose described.

6. The register, having tangent openings, in combination with thetangent openings ofthe feeder, in the manner and for the purposedescribed.

7. The arms of the tangent openings and the arms ofthe feeder, inclinedin the saine direction on one of their sides only, so as to direct thewater into the wheel and upon the buckets, in the manner described.

8. The buckets O, arranged upon4 a conical'baseplate A, substantially asdescribed, with a feeder constructed with tangent openings arrangedwithin the diameter ofthe upper ends of said buckets, as described.

9. The combination and arrangement of the conical base-plate A, theannular rim B, buckets O, the angular suspending and locking-seat E `ofthe wheel, the frustnm of a cone, K, the feeder and register, with theirtangent openings, the several' parts being constructed, arranged, andoperating in the manner herein described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

RALPH STINSON.

Witnesses:

HARVEY CLINE, NAPOLEON B. Bnnwx.

